Litvinov Workout – Getting Started with The Hardest Workout

The title of “the hardest workout” is subjective. Some people find push-ups the hardest, whereas other people fly through them but hit a wall when it comes to something like barbell presses. The hardest workout routine contenders will usually piece together some of the exercises that people struggle with most and turn them into a fearsome gauntlet.

The Litvinov workout is different. It’s a unique test of endurance, speed, and power that combines two different forms of exercise you probably wouldn’t have thought of combining before.

Want to try the famous hardest workout ever for yourself? Read on for your full guide to the Litvinov workout.

 

Litvinov Workout – A Complete Guide

The Litvinov workout was developed by Sergey Litvinov, a Russian athlete and later a fitness coach. The workout is admired as a ridiculous test of endurance, skill, and control of the barbell and your stamina.

Think of the two most intensive categories of exercise you can. The exercises that push the respective body parts to their limit, even at their simplest level, are more difficult than a lot of people can manage. Maybe you thought of a full planche? Or something like the Maltese rings move?

You might be surprised to find that the most taxing exercises are neither of these. They are barbell lifts and sprints.

As we said, the difficulty is subjective when it comes to exercises. Barbell lifts are easy to see why they’re hard, but what about sprinting? Well, it takes a lot of training and a lot of stamina. Sprinting is sometimes used in the same contest as running, but for the Litvinov workout, it seriously means sprint.

The Litvinov workout is simple. You do a barbell lift, and then you sprint. Then you do another one. You can do any lift you want; the important thing is that you alternate the lift and the sprint.

Who is Sergey Litvinov?

As we mentioned, the Litvinov workout was named after Sergey Litvinov. But who is Sergey Litvinov exactly? And what did he do to have one of the most difficult workouts named after him?

Litvinov’s career was marked by his rivalry with Yurich Sedykh. This fact alone makes it unsurprising that he had such impressive strength and fortitude; competition is one of the healthiest ways to improve yourself, especially if it’s in the form of a professional rivalry.

During his time as an athlete, Litvinov set an incredible three-world record for hammer throwing. His 1986 record was his most impressive, at just over 86.04 meters. Ironically, this put him just behind his long-time rival’s record.

Though, while Sedykh won the battle he didn’t win the war. This is because Litvinov went on to become a coach and found a fulfilling purpose in life by training future athletes such as Ivan Tsikihan. Sergey’s son also became a hammer thrower, following in his father’s legacy.

So, what was the secret to Sergey Litvinov’s success? His rivalry with Sedykh and his passion for the sport pushed him to improve, but they didn’t build his muscles or his endurance. That was the job of the Litvinov workout.

Litvinov Sprints

The sprints that form part of the Litvinov workout are as important as the rest of it. They’re also admittedly, much less flexible than the lifts. You can choose from a range of barbell lifts to do. Sprints though, don’t have much variation.

Why are sprints used in the Litvinov workout? Sprints are a great cardiovascular exercise, sure. But if that’s all you’re looking for from them, you’d be better off just going for a run or a jog after doing barbell lifts.
The reason that sprints are an essential part of the Litvinov workout is that they activate your body. They’re the quickest way to get your blood pumping, and for you to enter an anaerobic state.

The benefits of anaerobic exercise are taught pretty early in Phys ed classes, but let’s recap. The anaerobic state is where you push your body to the limit and help it to activate its max potential by depriving it of oxygen. It’s not as extreme as it sounds obviously.

Anaerobic exercise makes you work out harder, which makes you burn more muscle. During the Litvinov workout, the sprint is a means to an end – but it is irreplaceable, as sprints are the best exercise for this specific goal of entering an anaerobic state.

Litvinov Workout Results

So, you do the Litvinov workout. You’re not going to wake up the next day and be able to do a 90-meter hammer throw, unfortunately. Over a sustained period of time though, the Litvinov workout results you can expect to see will be equally as impressive.

For one, the Litvinov workout will be great at helping you burn fat if this is your goal. This is thanks to the sprints and the barbell lifts, which are individually two of the best exercises you can do to burn fat. Combining them and allowing them to work together just heightens this.

Second, the Litvinov workout will build muscle like no other workout. Remember what we said about getting the blood pumping? This enabled muscle hypertrophy, which is enhanced muscle growth thanks to them being provided with nutrients at the right time.

Understanding Litvisleds
Now, for a level-up version of the Litvinov workout, we have the Litvisleds. Understanding Litvisleds is simple; they take the principle of the Litvinov workout but replace the sprints with pulling sleds.

A sled is a platform that allows you to load weights, then attach yourself to it and pull it along. They’re kind of like a weighted sprint. You won’t reach the same speeds, of course…but you’ll still be aiming to go as fast as you can.

Litvisleds are great for building muscle in all stages of the Litvinov workout. Instead of two distinct phases, the whole process revolves around building muscle in your arms and strengthening your core.

 

Litvinov Workout – Closing Thoughts

So, is the Litvinov workout the hardest workout in the world? If you’re a beginner to barbell lifts and sprinting, then yes – it’s going to be a pretty high wall. But for people who have progressed further than that, it’s worth a try to see if you can beat the challenge.

And, for more intense workout guides and tips, you’ve come to the right place. We have guides, tips, and diet plans to help you reach your max potential.